2011 RadioShack and Toys R Us Holiday Badges

Black Friday has spilled into Black Week as retail merchants have already started trying to lure in your shopping dollars in advance of the biggest retail shopping day of the year. Many retailers are focusing a large portion of their marketing efforts in the mobile space and two retailers who embraced foursquare badge campaigns during the 2010 shopping season have again returned with 2011 versions: RadioShack and Toys R Us.

Last year, the Radio Shack badge required visits to multiple categories of venues before visiting a Radio Shack location to coincide with their ‘Holiday Heroes’ theme. This year takes a similar approach with their new holiday marketing campaign called ‘So Right’. Users must be following RadioShack on foursquare and $1 will be donated to LIVESTRONG for every badge unlock between 11/7 and 12/31. To earn the badge you need to visit holiday hotspots before heading over to your local RadioShack. RadioShack gave the following hint for what defines ‘holiday hotspots’: Think buying, saving, giving, shaping up and celebrating.

How can you not love a Toys R Us store? I’m a Toys R Us kid so earning a branded badge from this retailer is a holiday highlight. Just like in 2010, they are only offering this great looking badge featuring Geoffrey the giraffe on Thanksgiving night and Black Friday, but this year they are expanding the unlock window. A lot of folks don’t visit stores on the overcrowded Black Friday so it is nice to see Toys R Us expand the availability of this badge into the rest of the holiday shopping season. Don’t forget to follow Toys R Us on foursquare before checking in as it is required this year (unlike last year). The retailer is running a limited time special for users who venture out on Nov 24-25th. Every check-in will unlock a code good for 15% off your purchase from 11/27 to 12/3. Should the stores draw a crowd of foursquare users, Toys R Us is running a swarm special for Thanksgiving night and Black Friday. If 15 or more users are checked in to the same store a special will unlock allowing users to choose from three different offers:

$50 off the Imaginarian City Central Train Table

Buy one get one 40% off no-contract phone cards

40% off Incredible Edibles

Good luck shoppers as you brave another round of Thanksgiving weekend shopping. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!